Automatic piano.



F; W. WOOD.

AUTOMATIC IVIANO. APPLICATION rum) AUG.13, 1906.

901,929. Patented 0ct.20,1908.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. W. WOOD.

AUTOMATIC PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1a, 1906.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J weizza /f/ M J 1 3%. w w "U n F. W. WOOD.

' AUTOMATIC PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.13, 1906.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

[raw/afar A I iv /W000.

P. W. WOQD. AUTOMATIC PIANO. APPLICATIOiI FILED AUG.13.1906.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

SHEET 4.

5 SHEETS P. W. WOOD.

AUTOMATIC PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13. 1906.

mm 5 9 m m W 0 H m H m m M P If m I J l M/v & 2 U 9, w 1 6 0 flu 9 thedrum and -vice versa.

the mechanism.

UNITED STATES ra rnntr OFFICE.

FRE DERICH W. WOOD, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO BERRY-WOODPIANO PLAYER 00., OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI. a

AUTOMATIC PIANO.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, Fmammcn W. Woon, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Pianos,of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to automatic pianos and -my object is to producemechanism which can be installed in piano cases of standard type now onthe market, without enlarging said cases in any particular ornecessitating any change in or rearrangement of the piano mechanism.

lVith the above object in view and others as hereinafter appear, theinvention consists in certain novel and peculiar features ofconstruction and organization hereinafter described and claimed; and inorder that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l, is a front view of a pianoequipped with playing mechanism embodying my invention, the front of thepiano case and most of the piano mechanism being omitted. Fig. 2, is anenlarged central vertical section taken on the line IIII of Fig. 1. Fig.3, is a horizontal section taken on the'line III-III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4,is a vertical section on the line lV-l V of Fig- 3. Fig. '5, is avertical section taken on the line VV of Fig. 3. .Fig. (3, is a verticalsection on the dotted line VI, of Fig. 1. Fig. 7, is a'vertical sectionof Fig. 1, but onlv showing the lower porlion'of said figure with thebellows and wind chest. in section on the dotted line VII of Fig. 1 andthe pedal seen from line ll of Fig. 1, this figure showing the bellowsextended instead of collapsed as in Fig. 2. Fig. 8, is an enlargedsection on the dotted line VIII oflFig. 1. Fig. 9, is a central verticalsection of the casing of the air-controlling valve, with the interior ofsaid valve shown in elevation. Fig. 10, is a section taken approximatelyon the line XX of Fig. 9. Fig. 11, is a detail perspective viewillustrating the general '21!- rangement and relation of certain partsof Fig. 12, is a vertical section of part of the mechanism for effectingthe winding of the note-sheet from the roller to Fig. 13 is a hori-Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 13, 1906. Serial No. 880,467.

"Patented. Oct. 29, 1908.

zontal section to illustrate certain features of the pedal mechanism.Fig. 14, is a section on the dotted line XIV of Fig. 2.

In the said drawings, 1 indicates a piano of the usual or any preferredtype.

2 indicates a box in-the upper central portion of the name, 3 thetracker bar pro ecting forward forated note-sheet to travel over saidtracker bar from the note-sheet roller 5 to the winding drum 6 and viceversa, above and'below the tracker bar within said box. 7 indicates barssupportin said box and secured at their lower en s to the cross bar 8 ofthe piano case.

1y into said box, and 4 the per- 9 indicates tubes communicating withthe passages of the tracker bar and 10 flexible tubes leading from tubes9 to the upturned ends of tubes 11 carried by plates 12 depending fromthe box, the down-turned or front ends of tubes 11 being connected byflexible tubes 13 to the upwardly projecting tubes 14 of blocks 15secured to the front sides of preferably metallic wind chests 16, therebeing preferabl three of such chests, each consisting of a ront wall 17,a rear wall 18, a top wall 18), and a bottom wall. 20. The wind chests16 are connected near their ends and sup orted one above the other bymetallic tn cs 21, the lower wind chest being 'mounted at its ends onand communicating with boxes hereinafter described secured upon the endblocks 22 of the piano and said wind chests bridge the'rear ends of thepiano keys 23, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2.

24 indicates passages in .the front walls of the wind chests connectedto tubes 14 and through vent holes to the wind chests. Said passages arealso connected to the chambers 2G in the upper or stationary walls ofpneumatic-s 27, which are provided with arms 28 projecting betweencushioned collars 29 on rods 30 extending slidingly through cross-bars31 rigid with the wind chests and provided with cushioned heads 32engaging the undersidcs of brackets 33 secured to the thrust rods orabstracts 34 of the piano.

' 35 indicates a cross bar secured in the piano "case above anglebrackets 33, and 36 adjustable screwsin said bar rovided with positivelylimit the upward movement of the abstracts.

38 are passages connecting the pneumatics chests and below said openingsare guide. bars 46 for the lower portions of the valve stems, the latterresting at their lower ends on the cushions 47 of plates 48 secured tothe rubber or equivalent 'oiaphragms 49 adapted ordinarily to'bedepressed into chambers 26.

The boxes hereinbefore referred to as supporting and communicating withthe bottom wind-chest (see Fig. 5) are numbered 50 and are provided withdepending tubes 51 conneeted by tubes 52 with boxes 53 secured withinthe piano casing below the key-board and connected by passages 54 withthe wind throat 55 extending horizontally and transversely of the pianocase and secured thereto in any suitable man'ner.- 1

56 are flap Valves for closing passages 54 and 57 are arms toopen saidvalves at the proper time and through instrumentalities hereinafterdescribed. 58 indicates a box forming a pendent extension for the windthroat and connected below thelatter by a rearwardly extending tube 59to the equalizer (50 shown in Figs. 3

and 4 but not particularly described because of common and well-knownconstruction and operation.

61 indicates a pair of bellows secured in the lower front portions ofthe case bet-ween boxes 53 as shown most clearly in Fig. 3 and havingtheir front or immovable walls secured to the wind throat and providedwith passages (32 communicating therewith, see Fig. 7. Flap va-lv (33control su passages and the rear I movable Walls of the bellows areprovide-(T with one or more passages (:4 controlled by flap valves (35.

06 indicate arms pivoted to the lower ends of the movable wallsof thebellows and to sleeves (57 mounted slidingly on the outer side ba1'sfi8of a pairot' pedals 6!).

indicates longitudinal slots in said pedal side bars and 71 fiat springssecured to the sidebars 'and normally disposed at their rear end in thepath of said slceves but capable of being pressed into the; Slots topermit the sleeves to slide iorwa rdly on said side bars \vhen 'ihepedals are folded into the 5 se'yit being understood that the pedals area apted to project .lorwardly through the "-fzase vhenthe piano is to beplayed through fifi lf isti'tliiieni'ality oi the mechanism l'ormiiigthe 'nl 't nattcr of the present applihereinafter referred to.

cation. front ends on rod 72 provided with side arms 73 pivoted inbrackets 74 secured to the inner side of the sill 75 of the piano, andpivoted on rod '72 at the outer sides of the pedals are legs 76 tocooperate with the hearing brackets 74 in supporting the pedals while inoperation or in position for operation.

77 indicates a rock shaft extending longitudinally of and within thewind throatand carrying the arms 57 hereinbefore described, see Figs. 3and 4, for opening flap valves 56, said rock shaft beng gournaled in anysuitable manner and provided at its right hand end with a crank arm 78connected by link 79 to the bell crank 80 mounted 0l1 bI lCkCt S1 of thebox 82 upon wind throat55 and 'A link 83 is con-' neeted to the otherarm of the bell crank and has a pin and slot connection 84 with thecrank arm 85 of the rock shaft. 36 extending substantially parallel withthe piano case belowthe horizontal shelf 87 underlying the piano keys,said rock shaft being provided with a short lever or handle 88 at itsfront end. At its rear endthe shaft is provided with a depending crankarm 89 connected to the forked link 90 engaging the lower crank arm 91of a vertical rock shaft 92 suitably ournaled in the piano case near itsright hand side and provided at its upper end with a. crank arm 93engaging the forked end- 94 of a slide rod 95 mounted on a bar inihepiano case.

96 indicates an arm secured to rod 95- and earing a journaled relationto and adapted to shift a clutch 97 keyed to slide upon and rotate witha short shaft 93 suitably journaled in brackets 99, secured to bar 8.

100 is a cog pinion rigid with clutch 97 and adapted when ihe piano isbeing played to engage and operate cog wheel 101 on the shaft. of thewinding drum (5. 102 indicates a clutch faced sprocket. wheel journaledon shaft 93 and connected by chain 103 to sprocket wheel 104 on theshaft of roller 5. 105 is a sprocket. wheel rigidly mounted on shaft. 98and connected by chain 106 to the sprocket wheel 107 on the motor shaft108, said motor shaft. having radial cranks 109. pivotally cormected-bylinks 110 to arms of the movable walls Ill ol the motor pneuinatics1.12, theimnuivable walls 113 of said pnenmatics being supported by oneof the brackets 99, and brackets 114 projecting upwardly from bar S.

115 indicates arms rigid with the rear walls cf the pneun'iatics andforming journals for the motor shaft 108 and 116' indicates linksconnecting the lower ends of links 110, to the slide valves 1.17 of themotor pneumatics; said slide valves being adapted to l'twipulcate inguides 11.8. In practice the slide valves alternately cover and uncoverThe pedals are fulcrnmed at their ioo ( tie motorpneumatics whichopenings are not herein shown as they are common and well known inmechanical piano playing mechanisms, in fact the entire structure of themotor pneumatics is of common and wellknown type and the same is true ofthe mechanism for effecting the travel of the note sheet in onedirection or the other. For this reason the motor pncun'iatics and thegearing hereinbefore described is not detailed to any extent.

11.9 indicates tubes connecting the motor pneumatics and 120 a tubeprojecting from the right-hand pneumatic and connected by a flexibletube 121 to the tubular arm 122 of:

a cylinder 123, provided with a reduced depending neck-124 and a cap125. The cylindel' 123 is provided with a'slot- 120 through whichprojects rearwardly an arm 127 of a 4 hollow cylindrical valve 128fitting with an 130 indicates a flexible tubeconnectingneck 124 withashort tube 131 projecting.

from and commnnicatin with box 82 hereinbefore descril'ied (see l igs. 1and 3). 132

is a link: pivoted to arm 127 and having a forked outer end. engagingcrank arm 11-53 of a vertical shaft 134 suitably journalcd in the'pianocase and provided with a crank arm' 135 engaging the. forked .endof a link litti pivoted to the lower; end of the crank arm 137 of arockshaft 1ft paralleling the piano keys and suitably journalcd at theunderside of shelf 87 and )rovided at its front. end with a lever. hande 139.

140 inditaites the upright of the piano mechanism for adjusting thehammer rail and thereby-dis )osing the hammers nearer to the strings othe instrument when it is desired to produce soft music.

141 is a rock lever. slidingly engaging 140 and adapted to raise thelatter through the instrumcntality of the overlying pin 142,

said rocker lever being pivoted to a bracket. 143 depending from shelf87 or an equivalent fixcd point of the pianocase.

144 indicates a suitably journalcd rock shaft. provided with a cam 14:?at its rear end 4 to operate the rock lever and thereby raise of thedamper from the strings in order to produce loud music.

148- mdicates a.rock lover underlying cross ilpcnings in the rear orimmovable sides of 'gagement with gear wheel 101.

said cam being mounted on the rear endof the rock shaft; 151 suitablyjournaled and provided at its front end with a lever or handle 152. t

153 indicates a transverse bar secured upon shelf 87 helowthe front endsof the keys and 154; bars extending rearwardly from bar 15" and providedat the rear side of the latterwith transverse notches 155 having theirbase ortions tapering downwardly and to' the iieft as at 150.

157 indicates a transverse slide bar-having notched portions-fittin r innotches 155, the notches 158 of said slide bar terminating at their lefthand ends in beveled surfaces 159.

100 is a link pivotally connectingbar'157 with the crank arm 1610f arock shaft'162, provided with a lever or handle 163 at its front end andjournaled at the underside of the shelf 87' in any suitable manner and"in this connection it will he noticed that the various levers orhandles 88, 139, 146, 152,- and 163 project up through openings in theshelf 87 and are within convenient reach of the operator.

The front,- not shown, of the piano case will be modified only in thesensethat it will be provided with a door to be opened when it isdesired to play the piano through the. action of the mechanism embodyingmy invention, the pedals being swung from the position shown in dottedlines to the position shown in full lines Fig. 2. After arranging thepedals as stated, lever 88 is thrown to the position shown in l igs. 1and 11 for the purpose of throwing pinion 100 into on- Iressurc is thenalternately applied on the pedals to operate the bellows (31, the resultof this opera tion drawing the air from the motor pneumatics 111. occursin rotation and thereby impartsrapid rotation to shaft 108 through themedium of the links 110 and cranks 105), the operation of the pneumaticslikewise resultingin the opening of their valves so as to take in airinnnediately after they are collapsed. the air withdrawn from the motorpneumatics passing through the tubes 12] amt 130 to the box '82,incommunication with the wind throat. and from the latter the a r passesthrough passages (12 into the bellows as the. latter are. expanding,said air being cxhausted through apertures'ti4 on the next collapse ofthe bellows induced by foot pressure. t

The operation of the shaft 108 by the 'motor pneumatic through theaction of the,

The collapse of the pncln'natics note sheet to travel downward unwindingfrom roller Fraud winding on said drum, it

being understood thatthe lower end of the note sheet will be detachablyhooked, not shown, in the customary manner to the winding drum. As thenote sheet travels and its perforations register with the tracker barpassages, air enters such passages and passes down through: theconnecting tubes into their respective passages 24:, the larger portionof such air entering the connecting chambers 26 and raising the.diaphragms 49. the elevation of the diaphragms causing their respectivevalves 43 to open communication'between-the wind chests and chambers 39and close communication between the latter and the atmosphere throughopenings 40. This action is instantly followed by the collapse ofthepneumatics 27 as the air therein which entered by way of openings 40,chambers 39 and passages 38, is exhausted into the \vindchests and fromthe latter through hollow box 50 and connected tubes to the box 53 andthence through the pas sages 54 into wind throat 55, from whence it isexhausted through passages (32, into the bellows, it being understoodthat air at the same time passes from the equalizer (S0 to the tube. 55)into box 58 and thence through the windthroat to the bellows, theequalizer performing its common and well known function. The collapse ofthe pneumatics as stated, causes rods 30 to rise and elevate the thrustrods or abstracts of the piano mechanism, and through the piano-actionmechanism on the strings produces sound. The instant said perforationsin the note sheet. pass out of engagement with the tracker-barp'assages. the diaphragms 49 and valves 43 drop to their originalpositions and air entering openings 40 reiixpands the pneumatics andpermits the abstracts and piano action mechanism to resume theiroriginal posi'.o|.s the small volume of air in the tubes betn en thetracker-bar and passages 24 finding a vent 'through the vent holes intothe wind chests 16.

When tlis desired to produce the maximum volume of sound the lever 15:!is swung to the right to raise rod H7 and effect the willnlrawal of thedamper from the strings. \Vhen it is desired to produce softer music.

the lever H6 is operated for the purpose of raising rod 140 aml therebycausing the; hammer rail to move the hammers nearer to the strings andthus shorten their stroke.

ll the operator prefers lhc keys can he prevented from operating whentheir 're spot-live hammers arc in operation by swingengaging inclinedsurface 156 and 159, see Fig. 14, causing said bar to move upward untilits under surface rests upon the upper portion of the bases of notches155 in which position the bar will engage the undersides through theconnections described throws the pinion 100 out of engagement with wheel101 and interlocks the clutch 97 with-clutch wheel 102. so as to-causethe'latter to rotate with shaft 98 and through the sprocket chain 103,sprocket wheel 1'04, reverse the operation of the note sheet roller. Theoperation of said lever likewise through link 83, bell crank 80, link79. and crank arm'78, operates the rock shaft 77 and causes valves 56 toclose communication between box 53 and the wind throat.

stroyed and the air pressure therein maintains the valves 43 in theirdepressed pos1- As a result of this,. the vacuum of the wind chest 19 isdetion and prevents the collapse of the pneui matics and consequentlythe operation of'the piano action mechanism.

To facilitate the rewinding operation, the lever 139 can be thrown tothe left so as to swing arm 12? of and turn valve-128, Figs. 10 and 11.to the left in order to elfect registration between the large end ofvalve opening 129 with tube 122. The result of this connection is toincrease the rea of connnunication between the bellows and the .motorpneumatics in order that the'latter may be operated with less footpressure on the pedals and at greater s eed and therefore etl'ect. therewinding o the note sheet onto the note-sheet roller easily andquickly. When desired the operator by pressing springs 71. into slotsand at the same time pressing' down on the pedals. can cause the sleeves(3T to'slide forward on the side bars (33 of the pedals. The front endsof the latter are then swung upward with bearings T4- as the fulcrumuntil the entire pedal mechanism is occup 'ing an inoperative positionwithin the piano casc.

llaving thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire toecure by Letters latcnt. isI-- l. The combination with a pianocasehaving the usual blocks at the ends of the keyboard. of hollowblocks resting on the said block a \\lIl(l -Tllt. f bridging the key 5board and re ting a l its ends on and commuing lever 163 to the right.this action through the crank arm l(ll. and link 160 sliding bar j 157to the right, this movement. through the lllcallllg' with aid blocks. atransverse wind throat underlying the keyboard and standi ing on edge.and hollow blocks connected to the lirst-nanrtul hollow blocks andhaving valve controlled passages communicating with lhe. win d throat.

blocks, a. wind ehest bridging the keyboard and resting at its ends onand communicatmg with stud blocks, a transverse wind throat underlyingthe keyboard and standing on edge, hollow blocks connected to thefirst1-nmhed hollow blocks and having valve controlled passagescommunicating with the wind throat, a. transversely extending rockshuftjonrnaled in the wind throat and proecting beyond one end of the sameand provided at such end with a crank arm and within the chest with armsadapted for unseating said valves, a lever, and connections between theseine and said crank arm to operate the rock shaft.

3. The comb nation with a piano case having the usual blocks at the endsof the keyboard, of hollow blocks resting on said blocks, a wind chestbridging the keyboard and resting at its ends on and communicating withsaid blocks, a transverse wind throat underlying the keyboard andstanding on edge, hollow blocks connected to the 1 first-named hollowblocks and having valvecontrolled passages commimicating with thewind-throat, a pendent extension for one end of the wind throat, anequalizer pneuniatic and a tube connecting such pneumatic with saidextension.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses.

FREDERIGH W WOOD. Witnesses:

WM. R. BERRY, G. Y. THORPE.

